Indicating device for automatic telephone-switches.



No. 819,050. PATENTEI) MAY 1, 1906. J. ERICKSON.

INDICATING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SWITCHES. APPLICATION FILEDB12030. 1904.

UNITED STATESLFATENT @FFIGE.

JOHN ERICKSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. ASSIGXOR- TO AUTOMATIC! ELECTRICCOB IPANY, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS.

INDlCATlNG DEViOE FQR AUTOMATI$ TELEFHGNE-SWETCHES- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1906.

Application filed December 80, 1904- Serial No. 2381905.

zen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, Cookcounty, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inIndicating Devices for Automatic Telephone-Switches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic telephone systems of that character inwhich some provision is made by which any subscriber may, by calling aspecial or predeter mined number, cause the so-called iirst-se lectorswitch of such subscriber's lineto es tablish connection with aso-called special connector-switch, and thereby simultaneously connectthe subscribers line with several fire-alar1n stations, so that thesubscriber may in the event of a lire simultaneously give the alarm toseveral different tire-alarm stations.

Generally stated, the object of my invention is to provide an improvedconstruction and arrangement for preventing, or at least. minimizing,the transmission through the system of false fire-alarm signals.

A special object is to provide a construction and arrangement of suchcharacter that the said first-selector switch of each subscriber orother individual switch mechanism cannot be employed for establishing afire-alarm connection without leaving a record or indication that it hasbeen thus imployed by the subscriberor by some one at the substation towhom said switch is allotted.

Another object is to provide the said firstselector switch or otherindividual switch mechanism with a device or arran ement of suchcharacter that the shaft of the switch cannot be raised or adjusted tothe position necessary for establishing a fire-alarm connection withoutleaving a record or indication of the fact that such has been .dcne.

A further object is to provide the said firsts we in a position to keepinvention is to provide for the making of an indication or record of theuse of the switch for fire-alarm purposes without in any way interferingwith its restoration to its normal condition and use for otherpurposes-thatis to say, without in anyway interferin with itsrestoration and use by the subscri er in the usual and well-knownmanner.

It is also an object to provide certain de tails and features ofconstruction tending to increase the general efficiency andserviceability of an indicating device of this particu lar character.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portionof a so-called first-selector switch and showing an indicating deviceembodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of thedevices snown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective of my indicatingdevice, the same being shown in the form of an attachment for the saidswitch. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the structureshown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but shows theswitch-shaft stepped up or elevat'ed to the position necessary forestablishing a firealarm connection.

In Fig. 1 are shown the body or frame A and the vertical switch-shaft Bof a wellknown form of automatic telephone-switch. It will be readilyunderstood that the said shaft, when the said switch is employed for useas a first-selector switch, is normally under the control of thesubscriber to whose station or telephone the said switch is allotted.

Also it will be understood that in a switch of this character anysuit-able means are em ployed for enabling the subscriber to subject thesaid shaft to a step-bystep vertical motion and a ste -by-step rotarymotion. In this way the s aft may be elevated or stepped up to one levelor another, according to the character of the connection desired. Suchbeing the case, any particular level in the vertical adjustment ormotion of the said shaft may be appropriated or set aside for lire-alarmpurposes. Thus, for example, as illustrated. the fourth level or fourthvertical position of the shaft is allotted to lire-alarm purposes. Inaccordance with the well-known construc-" tion the upper portion of thesaid shaft is provided with a so-called normal post-arm C. Although I donot limit my invention to any particular form or construction offirstselector or individual switch, it will be seen effectivearrangement the said indicating de' vice comprises either a semaphore Dor a -lamp E, or both. In any event, however, the indicating device ispreferably operated by the so-called normal post-arm C, and it Will beseen that such operation can only occur when this arm is lifted orstepped up to a certain level and then rotated with the shaft. This isdue 'to the fact that the armd of the said semaphore is positioned atsome distance above the normal position of the arm C and can thus onlybe engaged by the said arm C when the shaft is raised toa certain level.As illustrated, the semaphore and its rigid .arm d are pivoted at d, andwith this arrangement the said semaphore, which is normally concealed orcovered by the-plate (Z is swung to the right when the arm C engages thearm (1, as shown in Fig. 2. In this way when the switchboard attendantfinds a switch with its semaphore operatedor swung into view he willunderstand that a fire-alarm has been sent in from the substation towhich the switch is allotted, or at least that some one at the saidsubstation has either intentionally or unintentionally thrown th'eswitch-shaft into osition to connect the substation with the ifferentfire-alarm stations, and of course it is evident that the subscribercan, even after using the switch for establishing a fire-alarmconnection, then restore it to is normal condition in the usual mannerand employ it for establishing any other desired connections; butWhatever is done it is absolutely certain that the telltale indicationof the use of the switch for fire-alarm purposes will remain.

' The said semaphore constitutes a visual indicator and is sufiicientfor the purpose. The

lamp E, however, 1 serves as an additional means for readily locatingany switch which hasbeen used for fire-alarm pur oses.

Shown, the said lamp consists 0 the usual miniature incandescent lampand is adapted to be inserted in a suitable lamp-jack e. The circuit ofsaid lamp is controlled by and includes the two normally separatedspringcontacts e. Whilethe semaphore rei ains its normal position thesaid contacts remain separated by reason of the presence between them ofa piece of insulation 0 This'piece of insulation is carried by theforward arm of the semaphore D and is consequently withdrawn etween thetwo contacts as soon as the semaphore is operated by bringing about theproper condition of the switch-shaft. In this way either the semaphoreor the'lamp can be employed, or both, as may be desired. The lamp ofcourse can be located and discerned more readily than the semaphore.With the arrangement shown these two visual indicators 0r signals arecarried by a bracketplate F, the said plate being adapted for attachmentto the upper part of the switch structure. In this way myimprovedtelltale-indicator can be applied as an attachment to the existing formof switch.

Preferably-and regardless of the form of indicating device employed thearrangement is, as previously stated, of sucha character that the properindication orrecord will al ways bemade, while at the same-time thesubscriber will be free after the making of such record .or indicationto then restore the I eating device is non-controllable by the sub-'scriber that is to say, the subscriber cannot then restore the signalor indicating device and cannot control it in any manner whatever. Inthis Waythe signal or indicating device serves as atelltale for giving asure and definite registration or record of a certain act.

The selector herein referred toand in connection with which I haveelected to illustrate my invention maybe of the general type disclosedin Patent No. 815,321, issued March 13, 1906. I

What I claim as my invention is 1. An individual switch for automatictelephone systems, said switch being provided with an operative partunder the control of the subscriber, and adapted to be given a pluphonesystems, comprising'an' operative part under the control of thesubscriber, and ad apted to be given various positions, according to thecharacter of the connection desired, one or more of said positions beingappropriatedsolely for the purpose of giving alarms or special signals,and an indicating device responsive to said appropriated position, and

adapted to remain operated until manually restored and withoutinterfering with the natural restoration and further use of said switch.

3. An individual switch for automatic telephone systems, comprisingmeans under the control of the subscriber for establishing any one of anumber of possible connections and sin-indicating device adapted, onlywhen a connectionof a special or particular charac ter is made, toproduce a telltale visual sig nal without interfering with the naturalre toration and further use of said switch, and whereby the restorationand further use of the switch by the subscriber is unaccompanied by arestoration of said signal, whereby the particular act necessary formalrir g such indication cannot be committed without dis covery thereof.

4. A first-selector switch for automatic telephone systems, comprising arotary and endwise-niovable shaft, said shaft being adapted to be giveinvarious positions, ac cordi' to the character oi the connection desired,and an indicating device adapted,

- when a connection of. a certain character is I a telltale indicatienthen-.01

established, to produce a telltale signal without interfering with thenatural restoration and hirthersuse of said switch.

5. A switch for automatic telephone systems, comprising means under thecontrol of the subscriber for establishin any one of a number oinossilt-lc connections. and means adapted, only when a connection of aspecial or particular character is established, to lea ve not liable toei facenient by the subscriber, and without in terl'ering with thenatural restoration and Further use of the said switch, whereby theparticular act necessary for making such indication cannot be committedwithout discovery thereof.

6. An individual switch for automatic telephone systems, comprising anoperative part under the control of the subscriber, and adapted to begiven various positions, according to the character of the connection.desired, and a visual indicator associated with said switch, adapted tobe operated thereby only upon the establishment, y the subscriber, of aconnection of a particular character, and adapted to remain operatedwithout interfering with the natural restoration and further use of saidswitch.

7. The improved telltale indicating device for automatictelephone-switches, adapted to leave a telltale indication'not liable toefl'acement by the subscriber, whereby the particular act necessary formaking such indication cannot be committed Without discovery thereof,said device when once operated being non-controllable by the subscriber.

S. In a telephone trunk-selecting switch mechanism, a switch'shaftadapted to be moved to a plurality of positions for connecting-purposes,and a visual signal associated i ith said shaft, together withconnecting '11 cans by which the shaft operates the signed 0 y when itis moved to a certain one of said p0 itions.

erated only by the esL-ablislnne the combir tion ct subscriber-operatedmeans for making any one of a'nuinber otpossibie connections, anda'sigual ad:

to be opnt oia ccr Y one of said connections, saidsignal when oncesubscriber. I

10. in a device of the character described;

cornbinatimi sub.

.bcr operated 3' rated being noitcontrollableby the means for making anyone of a 'nuinberof possi ble co nnec adapted to be opemted o ly by theestabe lishincnt of a certain one of said connections, said indicatingmeans when once o )eratcd being non-restcrable and non-control able bythe subscriber.

11. Au tomatic tele pl lone swi tchiug; app arajtus comprh ngsubscribencontrolled means for establishing any one of a number olpossible connections, and signaling or indicating means responsive onlyto the cstablishmcut ota certain one oi said connections.

.2. The combination. of autijiniatic switching means adapted toestablish any one o'l a number ct raissible cminections, a. lamp-fig nalmounted on said automatic switching means an ornially openswitoll-contacts conii c rcuit. of said lamp-signal and ed only by theestablisln it a certain one ol said connections.

A. in automatictelephone switching apparatus, the cmnbination of asi'litch-sliail't a plurality cl p tions ishii dni'ei'ent connections. alainp-signal individual to one of said posh tions, and means operated bythe shaft for controlling the said lamp-signal.

14. The combination of a subscriber's automatic telephone-switch forestablishing any one of a number of possible connections, a signal'orindicating device individual to the subscriber and also individual toone of said conn. v:tions, and means operated by the switch forcontrolling the said signal or indicating device.

15. A telephone first selector provided with a lamp-signal which isindividual to a single subscriber and which is also individual to acertain one of the different connections which the selector is capableof establishing.

16. A telephone subscribers individual trunlcselecting switch mechanismprovided with a visual signal or indicating device which is individualto the subscriber and which is also individual to a certain one of thedifferent connections which. the switch is capable of establishing.

Signed by me at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, this 1st day ofDecember, 190%.

JOHN ERICKfiON.

Witnesses:

W. LEE CAMPBELL, R. U. Grrronn.

us, and indicating means 5 Corrections in Letters Petent N0 8t9,050.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 819,050, grented May},1906, upon the application of John Erickson. of Chicago, Illinois, foran improvement in Indicating Devices for Automatic Telephone-Switches,errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction, asfollows; In line 33, page 1, the letters in 1 should be emline 40, page2, the word is should read its, and line 78, page 2, the article ashould be stricken out; and that the said Letters Patent should be readwith these corrections therein that the same may conform to the recordof the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of June, A. D., 1906. F. I. ALLEN,

Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL]

